Retractable light for aircraft



RETRACTABLE LIGHT FOR ARCRAFT Filed May 14, l 28 INVENToR and controllable from the operators compartment, wherefrom the light, when not in use,

, 4 lpied is partially sealed b Patented', .11, 1928..-

1 UNITED STATES PATENT oi-Ficiez'.y

cnam-.Es NORTON' iuoNTEITH, or sEATTLE, iiiuisiiINeToN, Assiettes. To nomine.V4

. AIBPLANE COMPANY, or SEATTLE, umsiauNeToN.

RETRACTAIBLE LIGHT FOR AIRCRAFT.

Application led May 14, 1928. Serial No. 277,531.

This invention is directed to landing lights,

navigation lights, aild the like for aircraft,4

and more especially to a retractable light which is swingably operable from within any of the principal structures of an airplane,

can be quickly and conveniently drawn into a cavity formed, for example in the wing, to receive it, and which cavity whenthusoccuthelens o f the light. The light thus hi den fromthe air rush incident to flight eliminates what would lotherwise be v arasite resistance with its imminent drag orces. ',Thus,.having all' lights operatively concealed, within the streamline structure ot the airplane, the speed ofthe airplane is .ot leened,-except'during the Y exposure of' the lights'.

Applicant has Found by actual experiment that a pair of standard landing lights,rigidf ly fixed to the -wings of a certain airplane decreased the speed of that particular airplane to the extent of 3.85 miles an hour.

Another feature of the invention is that the landing lights when retracted are in a position for Erojecting) the light raysdownwar'd- -ly, and t us may e useful in sighting landmarks,roadways, rivers and thelike,'for directional guidance while ying at night.

4Another object of the-inventionis to puo- ;vide .a device of this character which is'of y In thedrawingsV Figure l is a sectional end elevation of aV simple, eiicient, durable andfinexpensive construction, wherein'the severalparts are read- .ily accessible. y A

' These and otherobjects will appear as my invention is more full hereinafter described inthe following speciiication, illustrated in vthe accompanying drawings, and nally pointed o-ut in the appended claim.

wing member showing my improved form of retractable light in operative engagei'nent therewith. v

Fig. 2 is a plan view. of Figure 1`with the win'g removed for convenience in illustration,v

' showing the light and itsrelated p/artsd'sec cured to a -fra Fig.l 3 is a. `part of 'a fuselage of an'airplane formin .the

ent` of a wing beam.

cockpit, and'showing the light 'contro 'ng' .bolts 8A. The gear segment is mounted to a.

agmentary plan view of thatl cables extending from contifols` in the cock pittothe'light.

Fig.- 4 is an enlarged side elevation vof the actuating means for the light,

Fig. 5 vis an end elevation of the device projected from Figure 4.

Reterrin now more particularly to the drawings, 1n the present embodiment of the invention, I`have shown a light housin or compartment, Jformed within an airp ane wing as indicated at 1, and as therevmight be a plurality of wings and lights, and as all of the lights and their controlling mechanisms /66 would be identical with each other, a description of one will suiice for all.- In the present instance, a landinglight is carried by each lower wing-within the compartment, which is provided with a ri id-cover plate 2, constituting a section of t e airplane ex# terior shell disposed around said compartment. The plate is apertured as at 3 to permit passage of aflight 4, inwardly and outwardlyof said. compartment. The light is embraced and carried by a' collar 5, securely clamped thereto by means of bolts 6. The collar is carried by a pair of arms 7 which are secured to a gear segment 8, by means of hollow shaft 9 which is rotatably mounted within a pair of bearingsI 10 formed in a main body member 11 which is mounted to a wing beam 12, bymeans of a ange portion 12^. Operatively engaged with said gear segment is' a worm gear 14 rotatably mounted within a pair of bearings 15 in said main 'body inem-v ber and at' right 'angles .to the other bearings 10. Theshaft carr ing saidworm gear ex` tends beyond'fsaid earings 10,' and is provided with a cable drum 16 from which extends an "endless operating cable 17, thru tubular housings 18, leading to, anddirecting the operatingcables from the drum cable to the controls 19 within the' cockpit of the airplane, and which controls consist of cable drums 20, and 'handles 21 therefor. Each light has its-respective operating cable drum and handlegand in Figures 2 and 3 is shown two sets ofcoiitrol cables, .one set, as described, leading to the light 1n the left wing,

from the cockpit. y22 indicates an electrical circuit, extending from the light 4, thru the hollow shaft 9 and thence to a source of electrical energy (not shown in the drawings). The length of the light shown, exceeds the camber of the wing and a streamline cover 23 is provided. But it is to be understood that other lights of smaller size or special design could be,I employed to be entirely housed within the compartment."

From the foregoin it can be readily seen that when the cable rum 20, in the cockpit, is rotated, a cbrresponding rotary movement Y will be imparted to the cable drum 16 and the worm gear 14, with a resultant upward or downward movement of the arms 7 and the ligli'I 4.

hile I have shown a-particular form of embodiment of. my invention, I am aware that many minor changes therein will readily suggest themselves to othersskilled in the art without departing from the spirit anfl scope of the invention.

Having thus described myinvention: what I claim as new and-desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

An airplane wingv of `usual streamline formation, a compartment formed therein adjacent to the wing beam near the leading edge of said wing, an apertured and rigid cover plate for said compartment, a light swingably mounted to said wing beam, means l for causing radialmovement of said light through said cover plate, said means includ,- ing a worm gear and' gear segment, said worm ear being rotatable by means of control cales extending therefrom to the cock pit of the air lane, said gear segment bein'g mounted to aliollow shaft and carrying said light by means of a bracket, an electrical circuit embracing said light and extending thru said hollow shaft thence to an electriosource of energy.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

CHARLES NORTON MOTEITH. 

